Tried and True Mastitis Remedy

Mastitis has visited me way too often- five times to be exact over the span of four children.  Thanks to my friend Catherine who came to the rescue the first time I was ill, I have been able to treat it naturally each time.  I had no idea until speaking with her that mastitis could be cured without antibiotics.   Four of the five times I became ill due to mastitis, I was able to feel significantly better after a day or two, but this last time, it took four days to feel 100% as I was extremely rundown, not getting much rest due to a wakeful baby at night, and vacating with friends- I did not want to miss a thing!  

Some lessons I have learned...
Mastitis is miserable; it feels like the flu!
Catch it early so it does not become full-blown.
Recognize the symptoms!  Clogged ducts or cracked nipples allow for infection to set in.
When I have a clogged duct, I  get in the shower and massage it out- only way I can tolerate it.  For me, this means getting in the shower 2-3x a day and working on it.  Another option is I lie in the bathtub submerged in water and work on the clogged duct.  I also nurse, nurse, nurse until I am in the clear.  While nursing, I push on the duct and massage it toward the nipple.  If my child is eating food, he/she has to eat me first and foremost until that duct is clear.  For a cracked nipple or damaged nipple (from a bite or whatnot), I use lanolin and try to keep it dry.  If the breast is really bad, Dr. Jack Newman's nipple cream (prescription) is awesome. 

My Treatment plan when I become ill...

Get in the bed and rest as much as possible.
Leave my fever alone as much as possible as fever is the friend that fights the germs.  

Drink tons and tons of water to flush system. I try to drink 8 ounces of water every hour while awake.

Take vitamin C every hour for four doses and then every 4-5 hours.

Mince a garlic clove very finely and put it in water and swallow very quickly or put it in a bowl with honey and take by spoon.  If you have ever taken garlic, you know how yucky it is!  I highly recommend chasing it quickly if drinking it in water or dousing it in honey! I do this every hour for four hours and then every four hours.  Here is a great blog entry on taking garlic: http://gwens-nest.com/eating-raw-garlic/

Note: Raw garlic acts as a broad-spectrum antibiotic. The antimicrobial property in garlic, allicin, is destroyed when cooked.  Thus, when you buy it in pill form, it will not work.  However, pill form works great for stimulating the immune system and lowering blood pressure.  In order for it to work, it needs to be raw.  Allicin is also what gives garlic its pungent odor, so the deodorized garlic capsules that some companies offer are essentially useless for this purpose here. 

If no slight improvement of symptoms were seen in 48 hours, my plan would be to call my doctor.